EPK-Nandi-Biodiv Final1
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Biodiversity Survey EPK Estates, Nandi Hills, Kenya Papilio rex, The King Swallowtail – Kenya’s largest butterfly species. FINAL REPORT Dino J. Martins Insect Committee of Nature Kenya The East Africa Natural History Society CONTENTS PAGE: BIODIVERSITY OVERVIEW 3 CHECKLIST OF THE BUTTERFLIES 6 CHECKLIST OF THE DRAGONFLIES 13 CHECKLIST OF THE BIRDS 16 FLORA SURVEY 22 LIST OF TREES, SHRUBS AND LIANAS 23 LIST OF WILDFLOWERS 26 2 BIODIVERSITY OVERVIEW The indigenous forest patches of the Nandi Hills are an important area for biodiversity in Kenya. The forests are considered one of the ‘IBAs’ (Important Bird Areas) of Eastern Africa and two of these areas have been listed as IBAs: The North Nandi and the South Nandi Forests. The preliminary survey has yielded a total of 891 species of native plants and animals (birds, butterflies and dragonflies) from the forest patches on the estates. This species tally is expected to rise significantly as the surveys continued and over 1000 species of flora and fauna are likely to be recorded from the target groups being studied with further monitoring over the longer term. Surveys of the forests over the past year (2010) have yielded a checklist of 125 butterfly species, 47 dragonflies and damselflies, 247 bird species, 96 trees, shrubs and lianas, and 376 wildflowers and herbs. The bird diversity so far recorded represents around 22 % of the total bird diversity of Kenya. This is a significant figure and includes many Western Kenya forest-dependent species such as the Black-and-White Casqued Hornbill (found in all the main forest patches on most of the estates). There is great potential to develop birding tourism at the Nandi EPK estates indigenous forests and wetlands. The butterfly figure of 125 represents about 15 % of the total Kenyan diversity. It is expected that these forests hold more diversity and the continuing surveys will yield a checklist of around 300 species. The forests of the EPK estates are an important site for butterfly diversity and include some of the rarer species known in Kenya, such as Ansorge’s Charaxes (Charaxes ansorgei) found along the trails to Kibabet. The fauna of the forests is closely linked to that of the North Nandi Forest and the Western Mau Highland forest area for most of the higher altitude areas of the estates. The western estates, such as Sitoi, have a fauna that is more typical of the rainforest, similar to that of Kakamega forest. For example, a butterfly that is typically only found in Kakamega forest, Vanessula milca, was found to be common at the Sitoi forest patch. Dragonflies and damselflies encountered represented about 37 % of the total known Kenya diversity. This is a significant number and indicates that the wetland and swamp areas are an important zone for continued protection and restoration. The plant diversity represents about 8 % of the total plant diversity known from Kenya. Many of the plant species were typical of evergreen highland forest and the lower- altitude estates had species more allied to Kakamega Forest. 3 Below is a chart summarising the percentage distribution of the species encountered during the survey by the major groups: Birds; 28% Birds Butterlies Flora; 53% Dragonlies Flora Butterlies; 14% Dragonlies; 5% Setting priority areas for conservation and restoration The following table highlights the estates that were deemed to be the most important and biodiverse areas for each of the major groups of plants and animals surveyed: Taxon group Estates Butterflies Kibabet, Chemomi, Sitoi, Kapsumbeiwa Dragonflies All wetlands, Kibabet, Kapsumbeiwa, Sitoi, Chemomi, Siret Birds All wetlands, Kibabet, Kapsumbeiwa, Sitoi, Chemomi, Siret Flora Kibabet, Kapsumbeiwa, Sitoi, Chemomi, Siret It is recommended that these areas be given priority for protection and restoration. They hold significant areas of natural vegetation and biodiversity including many species that are restricted to Western Kenya. 4 © Dino J. Martins Insect Committee of Nature Kenya [email protected] www.naturekenya.org http://dududiaries.wildlifedirect.org/ Insect Committee of Nature Kenya The East Africa Natural History Society Museum Hill, Nairobi, Kenya. 5 RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF THE BUTTERFLIES The survey of butterflies was conducted by walking through the forest along trails and transects as well as careful observation of insects along streams and rivers. Butterflies were identified by sight records for the case of common/well-known species. Limited netting was done using a hand-net of species that were less well-known or provided the basis for more interesting records. Photography of free-living individuals and recently captured individuals was also conducted as an aid to identification. A total of 125 different butterfly species were observed during the survey. This figure represents about 15 % of the total Kenyan butterfly fauna. The butterflies observed came from five different families within the order Lepidoptera. This is a significant number of species for a forest area that is mostly fragmented. The butterfly fauna was primarily composed of central and western species. The butterfly fauna indicates that the range falls within the broader Nandi-Kakamega area of endemism. Swallowtail butterflies (Papilionidae), which are the largest and among the most spectacular of Kenyan insects were well-represented in the forest. These included the largest butterfly in Kenya, the Regal or King Swallowtail (Papilio rex), which is a species typical of tall less-disturbed forest. Whites and yellows (Pieridae) were also found to be common throughout the forest. The Brush-footed butterflies (Nymphalidae) were well-represented comprising almost half of the total butterfly diversity found during the survey. This large and diverse group included the fast-flying Charaxes or Emperor butterflies: The Green-Veined Charaxes was the most common. Large numbers of the were observed along forest trails. The rare Ansorges’ Charaxes was seen along the trails to Kibabet and the purple mother of pearl butterfly, more typical of Kakamega forest, Salamis temora, was seen at Sitio. The Blues and Coppers (Lycaenidae) were fewer than expected given the high diversity that is typical of this family. All of the lycaenids that were observed were fairly common species. Many of the rarer and more localised species of this butterfly family associate with ants, and are often only on the wing as adult butterflies for limited periods of time each year. Therefore, this is one butterfly family where more diversity is expected through longer-term and more focused monitoring. Skippers (Hesperiidae) were fairly common and distributed throughout the forest and glades. As with the lycaenids, this is one group of butterflies where more species are likely to turn up through longer-term monitoring. It is expected that further monitoring can raise the number of species of butterflies recorded to around 200-300 species. 6 Checklist of the Butterflies of the EPK Estates, Nandi Hills, Kenya: Scientific name Common Name 1. Papilio rex Regal swallowtail 2. P. dardanus Mocker swallowtail 3. P. phorcas Green-Banded swallowtail 4. P. nobilis Noble swallowtail 5. P. mackinnoni MacKinnon’s swallowtail 6. P. nireus Narrow green-banded swallowtail 7. P. demodocus Citrus swallowtail 8. P. jacksoni Jackson’s swallowtail 9. Graphium policenes Small striped swordtail 10. Catopsilia florella African emigrant 11. Eurema hecabe Common grass yellow 12. E. desjardinsi Angled grass yellow 13. Nepheronia thalassina Blue vagrant 14. Colotis ione Purple tip 15. C. euippe Orange tip 16. Belenois aurota Brown-veined white 17. Belenois thysa False dotted border 18. Belenois creona Common white 19. Leptosia alcesta inalcesta Wood white 20. Mylothris sagala Dusky dotted border 21. Mylothris agathina Eastern dotted border 22. Mimacraea marshalli Marshall’s Acraea mimic 23. Baliochila fragilis The buff 24. Lachnocnema bibulus Woolly legs 25. Myrina dermaptera Lesser fig tree blue 26. Hypolycaena philippus Common hairstreak 27. Deudorix antalus Brown playboy 28. Lycaena phlaeas abboti Small copper 29. Anthene definita Ciliate blue 30. Anthene crawshawyi Crawshay’s ciliate blue 31. Cupidopsis iobates Tailed meadow blue 32. Lampides boeticus Pea blue 33. Phylaria cyara tenuimarginata 34. Cacyreus lingeus Common bush blue 35. Leptotes pirithous Common zebra blue 36. Zizeeria knysna African grass blue 37. Zizina abtanossa Dark grass blue 38. Zizula hylax Tiny grass blue 39. Actizera lucida lucida Rayed blue 40. Actizera stellata Clover blue 41. Azanus jesous African babul blue 7 42. Eicochrysops hippocrates White-tipped blue 43. Euchrysops malathana Smoky bean cupid 44. Euchrysops osiris African cupid 45. Freyeria trochylus trochylus Grass jewel 46. Libythea labdaca African snout 47. Danaus chrysippus African queen 48. Tirumala petiverana African blue tiger 49. Amauris albimaculata Layman 50. Gnophodes betsimena Banded evening brown 51. Melanitis leda leda Common evening brown 52. Bicyclus safitza safitza Common bush brown 53. Henotesia perspicua Swamp patroller 54. Neocoenyra gregorii 55. Ypthima asterope asterope Common three-ring 56. Ypthima impure paupera Impure ringlet 57. Charaxes varanes Pearl charaxes 58. Charaxes candiope Green-veined charaxes 59. Charaxes castor Giant charaxes 60. Charaxes brutus White barred charaxes 61. Charaxes pollux Black-bordered charaxes 62. Charaxes druceanus Silver barred charaxes 63. Charaxes cithaeron Blue spotted charaxes 64. Charaxes nandina Highland blue charaxes 65. Charaxes kirki Kirk’s charaxes